Michael Swickard's new novel about New Mexico

From FoxNews.com - Sales of the $39,995 Chevrolet Volt increased 240 percent in September, from 302 units in August to 723. That brings the grand total of Volts sold since it entered production in late 2010 to approximately 4495. General Motors maintains that demand is high and it will sell 10,000 Volts by the end of 2011. but that many of the 8,668 cars it has built this year have been earmarked as dealer demonstration vehicles as it works to expand sales of the car beyond the six markets the plug-in hybrid was launched in last year. Over two thousand dealers need to be provided demos from the 2012 model year before they can commence sales of the car to customers. Read more

President Obama made it clear last week that he is opposed to voter identification. In an interview in Philadelphia Obama denounced voter Identification requirements using these words, "I will say that my big priority is making sure that as many people are participating in our democracy as possible. Some of these moves in some of the other states that we’ve seen try to make it tougher to vote, restricting ballot access, making it hard on seniors, making it hard on young people. I think that’s a big mistake, and I have made sure that our Justice Department is taking a look at what’s being done across the country to ensure that people aren’t being denied access to the franchise." There is no word yet on what President Obama is going to do about citizens being denied the right to travel by air, rent a library book, cash a check, use a credit card, or rent hotel rooms, golf clubs, or a car without proper identification.

KOB TV - The "Occupy Wall Street" protest that has paralyzed streets in New York and elsewhere around the U.S. has gained momentum here in Albuquerque. Protestors camped out at UNM on Monday night for the second night in a row at what they called “Camp Coyote” at University and Central. They say they are against corporate greed, bank bailouts and bad employers. “There were rumors that we were going to have to leave and vacate the UNM premises but unofficially we did get word from one of the executive vice presidents at UNM and also one of the heads of UNM PD that we can stay for right now,” one protestor told us. Read full story here: News New Mexico

NM Politics - In conversations with several people earlier this year, I suggested that lawmakers should create a state House district during the redistricting session that would be exclusive to the south valley of Doña Ana County. After all, doing so made sense, at least in theory. Lots of people live south of Las Cruces. Many communities are primarily Spanish-speaking. It’s a different world, in many ways, than Las Cruces. And yet, all south-county legislative districts in the House and Senate reach up into Las Cruces and are represented by people who live in or near the city’s second-largest city. That means rural farmers and people who live in suburbs of El Paso are represented primarily by Las Crucens in the Legislature.

The new district I was suggesting would center in Sunland Park and include areas in and around that city, perhaps stretching as far north as Anthony and Chaparral. Giving a legislative district to people with greater ties to El Paso than Santa Fe could help pull them into state government. However, some will view the recent shenanigans in Sunland Park as proof that it doesn’t deserve to be the population center in a legislative district. The most recent incident came during a meeting of the city council last week. Councilors started insulting each other, and, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News, pretty soon the arguing included people in the audience. Allegations of corruption flew back and forth, and police had to stop a physical altercation between Mayor Martin Resendiz and Mayor Pro-Tem Daniel Salinas. That prompted state Rep. Mary Helen Garcia to ask the state to abolish the city and take over management. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Fox News - House Republicans are calling for a special counsel to determine whether Attorney General Eric Holder perjured himself during his testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on Operation Fast and Furious, Fox News has learned. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, was sending a letter to President Obama on Tuesday arguing that Holder cannot investigate himself, and requesting the president instruct the Department of Justice to appoint a special counsel. The question is whether Holder committed perjury during a Judiciary Committee hearing on May 3. At the time, Holder indicated he was not familiar with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives program known as Fast and Furious until about April 2011. "I'm not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks," Holder testified. However, a newly discovered memo dated July 2010 shows Michael Walther, director of the National Drug Intelligence Center, told Holder that straw buyers in the Fast and Furious operation "are responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then supplied to the Mexican drug trafficking cartels." Other documents also indicate that Holder began receiving weekly briefings on the program from the National Drug Intelligence Center "beginning, at the latest, on July 5, 2010," Smith wrote. Read full story here: News New Mexico

PNTonline - Stephen Crozier believes each building project should be authentic, and vary in design, construction and environmental efficiency. When the Taos real estate developer looks at the dilapidated Hotel Clovis — once among the city's economic strengths — he envisions an opportunity to revive the city's downtown area. Crozier plans a $12.8 million renovation of Hotel Clovis that will include apartments and business space. “I think what really strikes me most about the hotel and the downtown area is the historic nature and the historic spot that you have in the downtown area,” said Crozier, one of a half-dozen speakers at Friday's groundbreaking ceremony for the project. “I've been to many different towns in New Mexico and they're all beautiful in their own way, but you really have something special.” Crozier was the only developer to respond to the city's 2009 request for proposal to redevelop the hotel. Most of the estimated $12.8 million project cost is backed by $10.5 million worth of federal tax credits Crozier's been allotted by the state's mortgage finance authority. City officials and Crozier expect the complete the hotel project to be completed by December 2012. Read full story here: News New Mexico

CBS - WASHINGTON - New documents obtained by CBS News show Attorney General Eric Holder was sent briefings on the controversial Fast and Furious operation as far back as July 2010. That directly contradicts his statement to Congress. On May 3, 2011, Holder told a Judiciary Committee hearing, "I'm not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks." Yet internal Justice Department documents show that at least ten months before that hearing, Holder began receiving frequent memos discussing Fast and Furious. Read full story here: News New Mexico

PNM today issued a request for proposals, or RFP, for additional power resources that will be needed to meet expected customer peak demand in New Mexico within the next five years. The RFP is seeking a minimum of 21 megawatts to a maximum of 200 megawatts of quick-start, natural-gas generation to be available beginning in 2015. The new plant is needed within or near the communities PNM serves in northern New Mexico. “In 2010, PNM’s system peak demand was 1,973 megawatts,” said Patrick Themig, PNM vice president of generation. “PNM expects our peak demand to increase to 2,046 megawatts in 2016, even if customers install significantly more solar power systems and continue to participate in various PNM energy-efficiency programs. Without the addition of new generation resources and assuming moderate load growth, PNM’s generation capacity will be about 7 percent higher than the expected peak demand in 2016,” Themig said. “We are required by the state to have a 13 percent reserve margin. So, we will need to start planning now to add generation capacity that can start quickly to ensure reliable power to our customers.” The deadline for responding to the RFP is Dec. 22, 2011.

BBC - A Democratic fundraiser warned that investors did not rate the chances of survival for the firm, Solyndra. A White House official, meanwhile, said the May 2010 visit to its California offices could later prove embarrassing. The solar panel firm received a $528m (£340m) federal loan in March 2009, but filed for bankruptcy this August. The emails were revealed in an internal memo summarising more than 700 documents, released by Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is investigating the loan. I am increasingly worried this visit could prove embarrassing in the not too distant future.” Venture capitalist Steve Westly - a prominent member of the Obama campaign team in California in 2008 - warned the White House about risks associated with the solar-panel maker. In a 24 May 2010 email to White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, Mr Westly said: "Many of us believe the company's cost structure will make it difficult for them to survive long term. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Real Clear Politics - BET founder Robert Johnson on the "FOX News Sunday" program: "Well, I think the president has to recalibrate his message. You don't get people to like you by attacking them or demeaning their success. You know, I grew up in a family of 10 kids, first one to go to college, and I've earned my success. I've earned my right to fly private if I choose to do so. "And by attacking me it is not going to convince me that I should take a bigger hit because I happen to be wealthy. You know, it is the old -- I think Ted and Fred and I we both sort of take the old Ethel Merman approach to life. I've tried poor and I tried rich and I like rich better. It doesn't mean that I am a bad guy. I didn't go in to business to create a public policy success for either party, Republican or Democrat. I went in business to create jobs and opportunity, create opportunity, create value for myself and my investors. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Townhall - Apparently, no one learned any lessons from the Solyndra scandal. Shoveling $4.5 billion in stimulus funds to 4 solar projects is a big issue being covered by the national media. In two little states, the lemming analogy is still relevant, though under reported. Both Delaware and Rhode Island are a part of the floundering Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and both have a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requiring cuts in carbon emissions and increases in renewable energy. Both raise energy costs to consumers. In Delaware they are pushing forward with two projects that they believe will put them at the forefront of the “Green Revolution.” (Considering the state of the green revolution, I am not sure why any state would want to be in the forefront.) Delaware’s projects require surcharges, subsidies, grants, and guarantees—but give the government officials bragging rights! Delaware’s projects include a solar park—touted as the second largest east of the Mississippi, and an experimental fuel cell facility that will allow Delaware to be cutting edge when it comes to energy. The Bloom Energy project to be built on the site of a defunct Chrysler factory and the Dover Sun Park both use viable technology to produce electricity—but both will cost businesses and consumers more for electricity. The fuel cells, called Bloom Boxes, use natural gas to generate electricity. It does work. But it only comes close to being cost effective if it qualifies for the states renewable energy credits that are designed to move the state away from fossil fuels. Read full column here: News New Mexico